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New in Blu: 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' and 'Knight and Day'
Today is a good day if you happen to like Disney. On the Blu-ray front, we've got The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Fantasia / Fantasia 2000 hitting the format. But since I expand on both of those sets below, I'd like to alert you to the week's truly outstanding Disney release, Waking Sleeping Beauty. Unfortunately it's only available on DVD, but don't let that stop you from seeing this insightful, intimate documentary about how Disney's animation department came back from the brink of extinction in the late '80s and early '90s.
Made by veteran Disney producer Don Hahn, Waking Sleeping Beauty is bursting with eye-opening behind-the-scenes footage that I guarantee will captivate anyone who with an affinity for Disney animation. It offers such a unique perspective into such a crucial canon of film history that it demands to be in your collection as soon as possible.
New in Blu Key:
Top Shelf - Any elaborate collector's editions or box sets.
Middle Shelf - Standard releases of fairly well known movies available at a reasonable price.
Bottom Shelf - Titles that are either A) suspiciously cheap or B) being released with very little fanfare.
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Top Shelf
Fantasia / Fantasia 2000 ($28.99, Disney)
The Movie: There's no reason to hide it, as I'm sure there will be plenty of people my age who felt the same way growing up, but Fantasia used to scare the crap out of me as a wee little kid. I'm honestly not even sure I've ever seen the whole movie because of that. I half-remember watching Fantasia 2000, but my memory on it is hazy enough that I might as well have never seen it. So, this Blu-ray set really is perfect for a Disney fanboy like me who still has a few, regrettable, gaps in his seen-it list.
The Features: As they've done with all of their Blu-rays thus far, Disney looks to have loaded this set with plenty of supplemental goodies, but having not seen them, I can only assume they're on par with their other recent discs.
Who Should Buy It: Disney completionists.
BUY IT HERE
The Sorcerer's Apprentice ($26.99, Disney)
The Movie: Nicolas Cage is a sorcerer. If those words don't do anything for you, there is no chance you're going to like The Sorcerer's Apprentice -- and that's a pity, really, because it's a pretty fun flick that has a lot more going on than just Nicolas Cage casting plasma bolts.
Jay Baruchel is a much more interesting Average Joe turned savior of the world than the usual CW-types that lead fantasy flicks of this ilk. The plot - Baruchel's character is destined to learn a Merlin-approved school of magic - isn't anything groundbreaking, but it provides for a handful of scenarios that are plenty entertaining if you like fantasy flicks primarily targeted to ten year-olds.
Even if you don't normally like fantasy flicks, however, there's still a lot to appreciate about The Sorcerer's Apprentice. The special effects are top notch and, frankly, if it doesn't get an Oscar nod next year, I'll be bummed. It has a pretty tremendous mix of practical and digital work that's subtle when needed and pretty wild when expected, but sadly work that's not quite as showy and high profile as Inception or Harry Potter is bound to get overlooked.
The Features: I'd recommend checking this disc out solely for the making-of featurette that showcases how their Fantasia hat-tip sequence was pulled off, as it's easily the most fascinating extra on hand, but the rest - some deleted scenes, features on filming in NYC and a few more on the effects - aren't too shabby, either.
Who Should Buy It: Parents with kids between the ages of 8 and 14; high-def lovers who love to have a new, immaculate-looking and sounding Blu-ray to pour over. The movie as a whole isn't amazing enough to make it a must-own for people outside that demographic, but it's still definitely worth a Netflix.
BUY IT HERE
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Middle Shelf
Knight and Day ($19.99, Fox)
The Movie: I really, really wanted to like Knight and Day more than I did. Putting aside his public persona, I think Tom Cruise is very charismatic and engaging actor, particularly when it comes to action roles and his noted dedication to performing outlandish stunts on his own. I'm also a fan of James Mangold, who I think should real promise as a glossy blockbuster filmmaker with 3:10 to Yuma-- not that Yuma busted any blocks, but Mangold's potential to take on bigger budgeted, higher profile action flicks oozed from that film. Sadly there's just something about Knight and Day that feels oddly lifeless given the recent pedigree of Cruise and Mangold. I'd blame Cameron Diaz, who I'm rather indifferent to, but that would be mean spirited as she's just fine in the film. The trouble is that everything about Knight and Day is "just fine".
The Features: Again, without a review disc I haven't explored what's actually on here, but with feature titles like "Wilder Knights and Crazier Days" and "Boston Days and Spanish Knights," I'm not all that optimistic that the special features will be anything above the level of the movie. And that's just fine.
Who Should Buy It: Fans obsessed with either Tom Cruise or Cameron Diaz, I suppose. For everyone else, this is a rental or a cable-watch at best.
BUY IT HERE
Meet the Parents ($26.98, Universal)
The Movie: The film geek in me doesn't want to admit to being a fan of Meet the Parents, but I like it despite myself. Yes, all of the jokes are obvious. Yes, it's not particularly audacious in the comedy department. Yes, the acting is a little hammy most of the time. It's a safe comedy made for families who like to watch something that's funny but not too offensive during the holidays. And I'm okay with that.
The Features: A standard set of deleted scenes, outtakes, and little spotlights make up the featurettes, while the feature itself does sport two commentaries, unless you're a hardcore Meet the Parents fan, they're not particularly insightful.
Who Should Buy It: Someone looking for a gift for people who love the kinds of movies TBS plays on end during the holidays.
BUY IT HERE
Meet the Fockers ($20.99, Universal)
The Movie: Again, same deal as Meet the Parents; Meet the Fockers isn't a movie to really love, but it's got just enough charm that if you're flipping through channels, you won't be repulsed when you come across it. As far as sequels go, the only thing that really elevates Fockers above Parents is the inclusion of Dustin Hoffman, who is always has an infectious screen presence.
The Features: The features on this disc are a bit more actor-oriented than they were on Meet the Parents, perhaps to compensate for the lack of an actor's commentary track this time around. So if you love everyone who is a part of this franchise, you'll dig the bloopers and actor spotlights.
Who Should Buy It: Again, anyone looking for a gift for people who love movies that seem to be tailor made for the cable replay factor.
BUY IT HERE
Bee Movie ($20.99, DreamWorks), Monsters Vs. Aliens ($19.99, DreamWorks), Madagascar ($24.99, DreamWorks), Madagascar 2 ($20.99, DreamWorks)
[Click Links to Buy]
The Movies: DreamWorks' animation department only began to standout with this year's How to Train Your Dragon. Everything prior was filled with kiddy-aimed humor and plots. And that's great if you're a kid who doesn't care about story, but for those who can appreciate the bar Pixar sets, this stretch of films doesn't really hack it.
The Features: Each movie has it's own set, most likely carried over from the previous (discontinued) Blu-ray releases, but this time around your money gets you both the Blu and an extra DVD copy.
Who Should Buy Them: Parents who spoil their children.
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All The Rest:
Cairo Time ($23.99, MPI Home Video)
I actually don't know anything about Cairo Time other than it's a should-watch for anyone putting together a respectable Best of 2010 list. And frankly I'd like to keep it that way until I finally get around to watching it. But if you're anything like me - basically someone who loves to give lesser known films a chance - buzz says this should be on your radar.
BUY IT HERE
Going the Distance ($24.99, New Line Cinema)
I heard nothing but good things about Going the Distance, which by all accounts is an atypical romantic comedy. I regret missing it in theaters - supposedly it's raunchier edge goes over like gangbusters - but I'm glad to know have the chance to catch up with it.
BUY IT HERE
Kill Zone ($17.99, The Weinstein Company)
If you're an Asian/Martial Arts buff, you're bound to better recognize this retitled Donnie Yen/Sammo Hung flick as S.P.L. The name doesn't matter much, however (they're both generic titles, anyhow) as this is a terrific, modern martial arts flick. It's not quite as engaging as some of director Wilson Yips later films involving Yen/Hung (particularly Ip Man), but anyone who likes to watch men punch and kick each other into oblivion should have a blast with it.
BUY IT HERE
Make-Out With Violence ($25.49, Factory 25)
Horror movies are divisive lot and Make-Out With Violence is no exception. It escaped me on the festival circuit and then when it went into limited release earlier this year, so I have yet to actually see it, but I've heard this low-budget zombie affair is either a lot of fun or a maddening piece of crap.
BUY IT HERE
Vampires Suck ($22.99, Fox)
And speaking of maddening piece of crap, here's Vampires Suck, the latest from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. I'm not sure why I'm alerting anyone to its Blu-ray release - as film lovers, we should all probably just pretend it doesn't exist - but here it is.
BUY IT HERE